My Breast Cancer Support events rally Seacoast community
PORTSMOUTH — The community supported local breast cancer patients and their families at two annual fundraising events, according to organizers from My Breast Cancer Support, a nonprofit based in Portsmouth.
The 12th annual Evening by the Sea Gala was held in August at Wentworth by The Sea Country Club. It sold out as usual and highlights included the silent auction, secret raffle boxes, appetizers and desserts, Espresso Dave, and caricatures by artist Erica. New Hampshire has one of the highest rates of new breast cancer cases in the country and there are an estimated 17,700 breast cancer survivors in NH.
The 15th annual Celebrate Pink 5K Run & Walk started and ended Portsmouth Middle School Sept. 17. Close to 700 participants signed up this year and fundraising efforts were record-breaking to support the mission of this local nonprofit, organizers said. The youngest registered participant was just over 1 year old, and this was her second time to complete the course with “Gwen’s Breasties.”
Lauren Zanetti (board member and event chair) stated, "Our signature events are not only a celebration of the resilience and grit of the survivors in our community, but also an opportunity to raise awareness and financial support for this organization we care so deeply about. The women we support are our mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, friends, colleagues, and community members, and each and every dollar raised goes directly to assisting them during their cancer treatment and beyond it."
My Breast Cancer Support is an independent NH 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides financial and emotional support to local breast cancer patients and their families on the seacoast of New Hampshire and in southern Maine.
“While research is critical to end this disease, it does little to address the needs of someone going through breast cancer now and who can’t pay their bills,” said Kathy Lijoi, board chair of My Breast Cancer Support. My Breast Cancer Support partners with local hospitals and cancer centers to provide new patient bags and “Hope Chest” gift cards for gas, groceries, and dining, as well as offers individual financial grants to pay for basic needs including housing, groceries, and transportation so that patients can focus on getting well.
Information: mybreastcancersupport.org
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: My Breast Cancer Support events rally Seacoast community
